August 6, 2019

Hampton Court Palace, UK

I am delighted to be writing this blog post in one of my favourite places on the planet, Hampton Court Palace, where I was lucky enough to have spent two years as a Gentleman in the Choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal. I am certain that, had I not had the experience of singing with this world-class ensemble, I would not have had the tools needed to be a King's Singer. This homecoming was due to the now-cancelled strikes at Heathrow, which meant we changed our travel plans, giving us an unexpected night in London. Despite, it adding some pressure in a very busy week, it is a delight to be back to reunite with Father Anthony, the Chaplain, who I am staying with.

It had been a packed month! Last week we had The King's Singers Summer School in Cambridge. It was a transformative week for me, and involved another homecoming; singing in King's College Chapel, this time, Compline, with our 100 participants from 22 countries. It was a complete joy to teach them, while also learning so much myself!

After just one day off, we headed to Guernsey for a concert at St James. My sister joined me on this trip and, yesterday, we enjoyed a swim in the sea. As Midlanders, it is not something we are used to, so it is not surprising that we both made lots of noise, getting into the freezing water, though she claims, I was the louder of the two of us! Luckily after a few minutes we acclimatised!

Our concert was an historic moment given that the King's Singers have very seldom been on Guernsey. St James was packed and the audience gave us a rapturous standing ovation! It was a treat to have some friends in the audience, and I look forward to September when I can return to Guernsey to see them again!

Just before our departure, we were treated to a thrilling boat trip in a rib! It was so fast, and we saw some adorable seals bobbing up in the unusually high tide!

Tomorrow, which marks the start of the last week of this term, we head to Germany.

See you soon,

Eddie

Instagram: @edwardbutton1